A Day Out In London Town . . .

I haven't managed to get up to London for quite a while but today I put that right and had a lovely relaxing few hours in town.

I had two main things I wanted to do and I achieve them both easily. Firstly  I wanted to attend Mass at Westminster Cathedral and then to have a potter in the Catholic bookshops nearby.

I have so many photos of the Cathedral I didn't bother taking one today but I wish I had done so as it was such a glorious day.  As the saying goes, 'here's one I took earlier'. A very grey day, what a shame.

On previous trips I've usually managed to reach the cathedral just in time to see the 'Hawk Man' walking away with his charge but today not only was he in  full view but they were both very happy to pose for a photo or two.

And what a splendid hawk he is too . . .

I managed a good 'haul' in the CTS Bookshop plus a few bits and pieces in St Paul's so made my way home fairly early to enjoy some of the sunshine at home.

Some of the very useful booklets I bought for the parish:

We pass this iconic building every trip but I still think it is majestic.

Not bad taken from a moving train and through a far-from-clean window.  I love travelling on the train by myself, especially in the middle of the day when  it's quiet and I can sit and day dream.  I especially enjoy the transition from city grime to the green belt of the Surrey suburbs.

Nearly home here . . .

As I exit the station at my home stop the first thing that greets me is the bell tower of the local church.

They still ring the Angelus bell here and it's lovely to hear it at home on a quiet day, especially in the warm weather when the windows are open - it's as clear as a bell! (sorry, I couldn't resist that!)

A day off and a day out . . .

We had a lovely day out last week on my day off. We went to do a 'recce' of the holiday home that we've booked for Christmas.

We couldn't find anywhere available right in the New Forest where we wanted to be but found a very acceptable place not far from Salisbury which is a beautiful Cathedral city and not that far away to drive into the New Forest for exploring (weather permitting & fingers crossed!) on days out.

We don't take the opportunity often enough to have a day out as a couple, I think, and it was good to be just the two of us for a change.

We were lucky to have chosen a beautiful sunny day for our outing and having located the cottage, we then set off to explore Salisbury. I can't remember if I've visited the town before but I was very impressed. I think most Cathedral cities are very attractive with a good combination of historic buildings and modern amenities.

We strolled through the town and everyone seemed to be enjoying the sunshine -what a plethora of fantastic coffee shops and patisseries - my idea of heaven!

On my 'to do' list was also 'find the nearest Catholic church' so armed with my printout from the web we located the nearest Catholic Chapel in Downton (no Abbey in sight!) and also the beautiful Pugin church of St Osmund in the centre of Salisbury. We're hoping that we'll be able to go to Midnight Mass there on Christmas Eve.

The Cathedral has a very interesting exhibition of life-size sculptures of people dotted around the Cathedral (outside) and they were even to be found in the cloister and the quadrangle.

We didn't want to be too late getting home so set off on the return journey in the early afternoon. We found a lovely pub for a super very late lunch on the way home - one to remember for our trip in December.

The Devil's Punchbowl - revisited . . .

Sometimes on a Sunday we manage to drive a little further afield and enjoy a day's outing with a bit of a walk and a bite to eat.

We haven't been to The Devil's Punchbowl in Hindhead since the opening of the new A3 Hindhead by-pass with the amazing tunnel.

Being a typical female, I must admit I don't usually get terribly excited about new roads, tunnels etc. but I was curious to see how access to the National Trust car park at the Devil's Punchbowl might be affected. Also being married to a civil (most of the time) engineer - sorry, couldn't resist that old chestnut - who for at least some of his working life was involved in similar projects it seemed like a good idea.

The tunnel was very impressive actually; lighter and airier than most road tunnels I've been in before. The old A3 road which ran alongside the Devil's Punchbowl Café is being returned to nature so that Hindhead Common is reunited with the Devil's Punchbowl. The road now stops just after the entrance to the car park. It's very odd driving practically up to the end of a previously very busy road which now just ends abruptly with temporary barriers. It seems to work well enough though and the car park was full as usual so the disruption doesn't appear to have deterred people from visiting this beautiful spot which is a haven for wildlife and walkers.

I didn't think to take any photos inside the tunnel but I found this video on YouTube of a Ferrari going through the tunnel. I'm afraid the only way we're going to drive through in a Ferrari is in our imagination.

The heather was really beautiful, a sea of subtly different shades of lilac and purple. We obviously picked the optimum time to see it.

Our route also took us past some friendly-looking highland cattle.

The Café came up trumps with Bangers and Mash; we had an enjoyably tiring walk and managed to miss the showers. I think I can say, a jolly good time was had by all.

Surrey Villages . . .

Another super day off today. I went for walk with a friend around some really pretty villages in Surrey. So picturesque I couldn't resist taking a few photos.

How could anyone resist this idyllic scene at Shere?

The mill stream which runs under Gomshall Mill

And the entrance . . . They obviously don't take any prisoners!

Pretty houses and gardens everywhere . . .

And of course lovely old churches too . . . This one at Shere.

And back to Abinger Hammer where we started . . .

We stopped at one of my favourite haunts for re-fuelling of the edible kind - delicious toasted teacakes dripping with butter - definitely not a day for watching the calories!

Damme - bicycles, canals and a windmill; typical Flanders . . .

Give me a lovely day out over a longer holiday any day! I love having a day out. It doesn't much matter where but yesterday was one of the extra special kind as we went to meet friends and family for lunch in Damme which is not far from Brugges/Bruges in Belgium.

We didn't plan for our visit to coincide with Ascension Day (naturally, they keep it on the proper day!) but it worked out that way so we decided to avoid the crowds in Brugges and went to the nearby small town of Damme. It's a beautiful small town built around two canals.

Being a public holiday the town was full of people relaxing and enjoying their day of leisure, and . . . more bicycles than you could imagine.

We had a delicious lunch in a restaurant called De Spieghel. Named after the fictitious prankster Till Euelenspiegel (German spelling). Roughly translated this means owlglass. You may be familiar with the orchestral work by Richard Strauss based on this story.

There is an amusing statue of Till Eulenspiegel complete with mirrors and some animal friends looking over the canal in Damme.

And the beautiful church of Our Lady.

If you're looking for a slightly different day out for a treat, I'd recommend a visit. We went with the car via Eurotunnel and it's just about an hour and a quarter's drive from the terminal to Brugges and nearby Damme. If, like us, you live in the south of England, it's a very easy journey.

No, I'm not working for the Damme tourist board but I like to share good things!

Another Spring jaunt . . .

Normally on Bank Holidays, I prefer to stay at home having a lazy day and catching up on some of the household chores. I'm not keen on crowds and past experience has shown that usually not just the roads but anywhere of interest is busy, busy, busy on Bank Holiday Monday, especially if the sun is shining.

Nevertheless, it seemed such a shame to waste the sunshine on Monday so we set off for a little jaunt to Clandon Park. It's not that far away from us, traffic was fine and, although the car park was filling up, we arrived in time to find a spot easily.

The house, now owned by the National Trust, is well worth a visit and we were impressed to see how well-preserved everything looked.

Two things make this property a little different from other English country houses.

Firstly, the Maori meeting house, brought over from New Zealand in 1982 by the fourth Earl of Onslow who was a Governor of New Zealand at the time, and which now looks splendid in its new location in the gardens behind the house.

And, secondly, the West Clandon parish church of St Peter and St Paul. This lovely old church which stands at the boundary of the property has many interesting memorials. It is obviously well-cared for by the parish.

I enjoy wandering round old churches and there is something special about a church as old as this (late 12th/early 13th Century) which is obviously still in regular use. You can imagine the generations of people who have worshipped in this spot. If those stones walls could only talk what tales they could tell!

A Quintessentially English scene . . .

What could be more English than this? A sunny Sunday afternoon, taking tea in a little teashop opposite the village green. I can't think of a better way to spend a few hours in between morning Mass and Rosary and Benediction in the afternoon. Certainly not ironing, or weeding, the other two activities on offer!

A couple of weeks later and the view from the window might have included a game of cricket on the green. A very short boundary here so plenty of high scoring matches - and wet cricket balls as the ball is smashed into the boundary stream.

It really is an idyllic scene. One pretty village after another in this part of Surrey.

The tea shop which is also the local shop was doing a roaring trade in fishing nets sold to the crowds of youngsters who had come to picnic with their families and fish for 'tiddlers' in the stream.

Ash Wednesday Walk . . .

Wednesday is my day off and I try and fit in a walk if I possibly can. I can definitely recommend it if you're struggling with fasting today. It's a great way to take your mind off thinking about all the lovely food you could be eating, if only it wasn't Ash Wednesday!

I walked with a friend around about the Colley Hill area in Surrey.

Unfortunately it was rather hazy today so this photo doesn't really do justice to the magnificent view from the top of Reigate Hill.

Nearly at our destination - the tea hut at the top of Reigate Hill, and we stopped for a breather at the Inglis Memorial. This 'folly' was originally a drinking fountain for horses. This would have been the main route over Reigate Hill at one time. It has a magnificent mosaic ceiling picturing the Signs of the Zodiac.

After a refreshing 'cuppa' we made our way back home. I couldn't resist a snap of this sign as we passed by. I assume the Adders referred to are not a bunch of dangerous accountants lurking in the field to pounce on unsuspecting walkers.

This 'n' that . . .

Sorry for the lack of posting recently. Life just seems to be a bit busy at the moment. I'm managing to post a few Tweets on Twitter but don't seem to be able to find enough 'thinking' time to put together anything more than a few words.

I've had a few very enjoyable outings recently. The Pater Familias and I spent a lovely peaceful couple of nights in the New Forest last week to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary and my birthday. A much needed break for both of us.

Today I spent my day off with a friend visiting Denbies Vineyard near Dorking in Surrey. We managed to have a lovely walk around the estate and had time to visit the shop and chat over tea and cakes too.

Lots going on in the parish with beautiful Rosary and Benediction every Sunday afternoon throughout October and continuing throughout November too. I love the prayerful atmosphere that envelopes you as soon as you walk into church. Now that the clocks have gone back it's even more atmospheric as we just have the light of the candles on the altar and very minimal background lighting.

I imagine things are going to get busier still as we get nearer 'you-know-what' (the 'C' word)!

Fanny's Farm Shop - a magical place

Another great day off. A good friend and neighbour suggested we visit Fanny's Farm Shop for our Wednesday walk today. I haven't visited for years and had forgotten what a magical place it is. A lovely place to visit with children and also an interesting place for visiting 'grown-up children'.

Today was one of those lovely cold but bright Autumn days in this part of Surrey - ideal for a stroll. We were chauffeured to our destination by a kindly husband so we only had to walk home after a scrumptious cream tea.

It's difficult to describe Fanny's Farm Shop. More than a tea shop, less than a garden centre - quite unique. The creator and owner Fanny Maiklem obviously has a great sense of humour and I would guess is a bit of a 'magpie' judging by the collection of miscellaneous country-related artifacts scattered throughout the farm. She is famous for her home-made marmalades, jams and chutneys but the home-baked cakes are also worth a mention and today's cream tea was absolutely delicious.

Once again, I had taken too many pictures to choose just a few so have put them together in a slide show. Perhaps you might be tempted to pay a visit yourself . . .

Belated Bank Holiday post . . .

I've been really struggling with our Internet connection lately hence the tardiness of this post which I began on Monday!

I thought as I'd given myself such a tough time putting together the slide show, I was going to inflict it on you anyway even though it is old news.

It was a lovely day as it turned out although we had decided that we'd go and visit Nymans regardless of the weather. 'Have kagoule, will travel' is one of my many mottos.

I know the soundtrack is rather 'cheesy' but I was having such a struggle uploading the slide show for some reason, I gave up trawling through my music library for a better choice.

Hope you enjoy the 'bootiful' flowers anyway.

A Feast Day and a Fun Day . . .

I'm firmly of the opinion that Feast Days should be celebrated - and I don't just mean at Mass and in church.

Today's Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a beautiful feast and to celebrate we had a beautiful Mass in the parish with choir and organ too, which is unusual during August but very appropriate and much appreciated.

I still think of myself as a 'new Catholic' even though I was received into the Church over 20 years ago. I'm learning all the time about my faith and every now and again, another piece of the jigsaw falls into place and a little more of the picture is revealed.

I find Feast Days help very much with this process, and gradually I'm beginning to understand more of the dogma and doctrine of the faith. Like other ways of learning, repetition of the same story and explanations from different sources all combine to add my understanding.

I'm learning; not just by listening to the homily at Mass but also by reading, and that reading includes the blogosphere, I am beginning to 'get' the Feast of the Assumption.

I'd always tended to think of Feast Days in isolation but I'm also beginning to realise that sometimes they're connected. Like today's feast and that of the Immaculate Conception. Now I see that of course they're related. It's because Our Lady was conceived without sin that she couldn't possible suffer the corruption of death that the rest of us with our original sin, and ongoing sin, have to undergo.

Ah, well, I've a lot yet to learn and understand, I know . . .

“Blessed is she who trusted that the Lord’s words to her would be fulfilled.”

For Christians, death is not extinction, though, unlike Mary, all ordinary mortals, even the most faithful Christians, the saints, must await the Second Coming of Christ and the general Resurrection to receive our “glorified bodies”.

‘May we see heaven as our goal and come to share her glory’.

Read more at Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary

After Mass we continued the celebration by going out for lunch and we decided to visit Chartwell in Kent and sample the fare in their excellent restaurant.

The Pater Familias and I hadn't visited for over a year and 'Our Eldest' has never been and I had a feeling it would be 'right up his street'. (I was right, but then Mum's usually are!)

A larger-than-life statue of Sir Winston and Lady Clementine Churchill. Churchill in his famous 'siren suit'.

The studio in the grounds where Sir Winston Churchill did a lot of his painting. His paintings are also very much in evidence in the main house.

Beautiful flowers, glorious weather and good company . . .

Beautiful flowers, glorious weather and good company . . . all the ingredients for a blissful day out yesterday at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

It's a few years since I've been to this flower show so jumped at the chance to go by coach on yet another 'works' outing' (courtesy of Number One Son).

The journey up by coach is only about half an hour if the traffic is light and we probably made it in about 45 minutes. It was not only an opportunity to see all the beautiful plants and wander around the gardening accessories stands but a great chance to spend some time with a good friend catching up on all the news and generally 'putting the world to rights'. A great 'girlie' day out.

Rather than join the queues inside for our first coffee stop of the day, we decided to have a coffee in East Molesey and found a lovely little coffee shop with a leafy garden. It was still very busy but quite delightful.

We also took advantage of the boat trip up to the actual entrance to the Flower Show. A perfect way to travel and it made the day even more enjoyable.

We managed to find a shady spot under a tree to have a bite of lunch and do some 'people watching'. Water is so cooling, isn't it, even if you're just looking at it rather than splashing around in it?

We wandered around 'oohing' and ' aahing' at all the goodies on sale and stopping each other from breaking the bank. I think I was very restrained and managed to come home with just a couple of purchases - this lovely dahlia - called 'Happy Wink' - I think I was as much taken by the name as the beautiful colour of the plant! Secondly, this lovely étagère which I plan to use to put pots of herbs on near the kitchen door. Mind you, I might change my mind and use it for pots of colourful bedding, depending on my mood.

So, a great day out and much to be recommended for anyone who enjoys gardening, or even just enjoys a day out in the sunshine in glorious surroundings.

Quarant'Ore . . .

I'm very grateful to Dominic Mary of Libera me Domine not just for this super picture of the Quarant'Ore at The London Oratory but also for the encouragement to go along and take advantage of this great opportunity for prayer in such a beautiful church.

I'd been thinking I might use my day off to go up to Victoria and visit the Cathedral and nearby bookshops so his post just came at the right time for me.

I had a super day out. The weather has been so much kinder recently and it was great to walk around London without having to fight against a biting wind or driving rain.

I timed my outing just right. Setting off in my own time after the morning rush, I got to The Oratory in time for a good period of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and then was able to move to one of the side chapels for Mass (Novus Ordo, Ad Orientem, for those of you who are interested in this sort of detail) before making my way back to Victoria and on home. Naturally, there were also coffee-stops and window-shopping to fit in along the way!

There are so many situations and people that I wanted to pray for, it was great to have this chance today. Needless to say, I included all my blogging friends in those prayers.

It's not too late to go along yourself - the Quarant'Ore finishes tomorrow with Benediction at 7pm. For more information have a look at the Oratory website.

Westminster Cathedral was looking quite magnificent in the afternoon sunshine and the piazza was relatively quiet so I couldn't resist taking a photo. Sorry, I'm not proficient enough to be able to fit all of the tower in the picture without standing in the middle of the road!